Tuesday, December 8, 2015

I am so grateful for the blessings the gospel has brought into my life. Growing up, I had always had a testimony of the Savior and felt the spirit. I felt as though I never had a big experience to share that really shaped my testimony until right before the summer of 2011.

I was sitting in stake conference when I had a strong prompting to move to Tempe. I had never before had such a specific, strong prompting that I couldn't deny. At the time I was working at a Salon and there was another location I could possibly move to. I knew I had to at least try, so the next week I talked to my supervisors to see if this was possible. They quickly let me know that there wasn't a great chance of the location change. I was confused and discouraged, until the very next week when there was an opening at that exact location! I moved to Tempe, and had the best experience in my ward and with my new roommates. I made many lifelong friends and my testimony grew so much from those few short months. Later that summer, I met Thomas and a little over a year later we were sealed in the Mesa Arizona temple.

I am so grateful I was taught at such a young age to recognize the spirit and to act on promptings. I know that the Savior knows each of us personally and knows what we need in our lives. I have a testimony of the gospel and the special love Heavenly Father has for each of us.

Growing up I have always know the church to be true. My beliefs were first founded on those of my parents and grandparents. When i was around ten years old I asked my dad why we were not Jewish, he explained how the Priesthood was lost and the importance of the restoration, it was then that I fully understood how important the Gospel was and the work Joseph Smith did. I hope that I can help create that moment in my own children's lives where they can come to the knowledge of truthfulness of the Gospel on their own. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints is the true church of our Lord and Savior. It was founded through the work of Joseph Smith and continues today through his living Prophets. I am so grateful to have family that shares these beliefs and encourages us to always be better. Love Drew

Monday, December 7, 2015

I have never had a doubt the church wasn't true. I know it is. I know with every fiber of my being and have known ever since I was small. I guess being raised by my parents being strong members of the church and being around family and friends that share the same believe and love for our Heavenly Father and Savior make it easier to know from a young age.

I don't know when my true conversion is of when I knew for a fact that the gospel was true. But I will share a time of strong reassurance.

It was March 27, 2013. I remember this day very well. It was the day I left Levi. I was at my lowest point, scared to death, not knowing why all this had to be and why I had to go through such a horrible thing for the past 5 and a half years of my life and why did my three kids have to be dragged into it.

I remember Grandpa always saying, "Smith's never quit." (Hence, Smith's never get divorced) That night as I was kneeling down crying and praying I remember being angry with my Heavenly Father. I remember asking why. WHY?! Why did I stay so long in such an abusive relationship, why did my kids have to be brought into it, why was I so scared, why do I have to be the one to go through all of this? I am was not a quitter but I could only do so much and I couldn't even safe my own marriage. I had quit something.

The next morning I woke up shocked that I actually didn't have a restless night's sleep with all that was going on. I know I had a dream about something but yet I had no recollection of what it was. What I did know is that I had a strong and clear understanding of why. I know that I had to go through all of that because of my 3 kids. I had to stop the abuse cycle through his line of the family even if it was with only 3 children. I knew that I would be the one to make that change as long as I stayed strong in the gospel, follow the council given by our prophets, apostles and other church leaders. Never again will I be angry with my Heavenly Father because I know that there is a plan for everyone of us. Whatever trial we are given He knows that we can get through it. He is molding us and preparing us for when we can be back home with Him.

I love the gospel more then anything in this world! Of all the uncertainties in this mortal existence, it is the one thing that will never change. It is my anchor, my rock, my light in the darkness, my hope. I love the word hope. Hope keeps me going.

In the dictionary, hope is defined as:

"a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen".

Sometimes hope is all we can have. Even when we don't know what else to do, never ever ever lose hope.

As a child, my parents taught me about our loving
Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful to them
for teaching me gospel truths that have blessed me throughout my life,
and for their examples of living the gospel and serving others. I have
some memories of early experiences with feeling the Spirit for myself.
As I listened to teachings about the Savior, heard music praising Him,
and witnessed the sharing of testimonies in my ward, feelings of warmth,
love, faith, and joy were powerful to me! Those feelings gave me the
desire to try to do the things that my Savior would want me to do.
Several times as a young girl, I even felt a powerful pounding in my
chest which gave me a desire to share my own testimony.

Throughout
my life I have been blessed with leaders and teachers that continued to
teach and counsel me. As I began to learn more about the scriptures
and read them for myself, my gratitude for our Father in Heaven's Plan
of Happiness also grew. As I experimented upon the word, I prayed for
confirmation that the Book of Mormon and the Church were true. Though
it didn't come immediately, the reassurance came. I knew that the
feelings that I had always had, were correct. The Church was true! I
have continually learned that living a principle is the best way to
confirm it's truthfulness.

Another
great blessing that I received at a young age was finding a wonderful
young man to love and marry that had also been taught by goodly
parents. I am indebted to them! It took prayer and spiritual
confirmation to give me the courage to marry and move away from my
family at such a young age. The blessing of motherhood has also greatly
strengthened my testimony. Watching my children, and now
grandchildren, find happiness as they grab on to the gospel gives me
added faith.

I have
had so many experiences that have confirmed my faith, that I could not
begin to recount them. I have felt the Lord's promptings as I have
served in the Church. I have grown as I have tackled assignments and
challenges that seemed too difficult. I have witnessed over and over
His tender mercies and His answers to prayers in even the small things
in our lives. I know that living the gospel and keeping the
commandments brings peace and joy in this life and the next. I feel so
blessed that we have prayer, the scriptures, the Priesthood, the Temple,
and a living prophet and apostles to help us. Most of all, I am
grateful to my Heavenly Father and to my Savior! I am grateful for the
atonement that makes it possible for each of us to be free from sin and
death. It is my greatest desire to be worthy to be with them one day
with family all around!

Sunday, December 6, 2015

The Church has always been the center of my life and I have always been challenged with missionary work and my parents always supported me with these challenges. One challenge came when I was in 6th or 7th grade when I was asked to invite someone to attend church with me after accepting an invitation to attend theirs. I attended a church of one of my friends and the services went okay but then we went to class. It was then that the teacher started to talk about how the Mormon’s were a cult and that they weren’t Christians. I started to cry but stood my ground when I told him that I was a member of the church he was talking about and that it was not okay for him to belittle other faiths and I got up and walked out and called my father to come get me. The pastor of the church called my house and tried to apologize for what was said. I accepted his apology but from that day forward my testimony was stronger. Because of this incident I have tried to fill my life and teach my family about missionary service.

Watching my family grow has been such a blessing and a pleasure. I knew The Book of Mormon was true when I completed seminary because with having to study it, it made more sense and I knew it was true. There is no one story that I like more than another, I love them all.

Having a supportive family throughout difficult times in my life and continue to have their support has been such a blessing. My parents have been my anchor throughout my life and I would not be the woman I am today if it wasn’t for their love and support.

I bear my testimony that I know the Church is true and that Heavenly Father lives and Jesus is the Son of God and the Holy Ghost is my constant companion.

I feel fortunate that from a young age I was blessed with a belief that the gospel was true. I don’t really remember a time in which I didn’t have a testimony. Now don’t get me wrong, my road—like most others’—has not been smooth. In fact, as temptations and trials swirled around me during my teenage years, my faith was tested, and I didn’t always pass every test. That said, even in my darkest hours of life, when faith was weak and hope seemed lost, I knew of the truthfulness of the restored gospel deep down in my soul. Perhaps it was that testimony—buried deep, but still there—that gave me courage in those times to press forward and rely on the Lord. Looking back, perhaps it was simply a miracle that I ever made it through with my faith restored and my testimony intact. That’s the most amazing thing about the Atonement of Jesus Christ—we can’t earn its blessings; they are freely given so long as we are willing to receive them.

My faith and testimony are a result not of anything special I have done, but rather because of the fortunate circumstances that the Lord saw fit to place me in. In all reality, my trials have been mostly self-inflicted, and pale in comparison to so many of those around me. For that, I feel blessed. I feel blessed to have been raised in a family with good parents who did their best to create an environment where I could feel the spirit and develop a testimony of my own. I will be forever grateful that from the day I was born, I have been literally surrounded by parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and church leaders who love the Lord and have “worn out their lives” in His service. I’m proud of and thankful for my heritage. Those examples have helped me become the man I am, and will forever guide my efforts to someday become the man my Father in Heaven wants me to be. I’m grateful that the Lord guided me to my eternal companion Jodi, and has given me the opportunity to repeat the pattern of parenthood and service set by my parents and grandparents.

I know that God lives, and that He loves us. I know He sent his perfect Son to atone for us. I know that they—both the Father and the Son—appeared to Joseph Smith. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know that true happiness comes from doing our best to follow the Savior. This is what I have been taught all my life, and the Spirit has borne witness of the truthfulness of it countless times.

I
can’t point to a specific time in my life when I knew I had a testimony of the
Church, but I can say without a doubt that the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints is a true church. I grew up going to church almost every
Sunday. I believe it was the social
thing to do in the town of Bountiful, Utah.
You pretty much knew who was an active member and who was not. I could
almost name every home and the last name of the family who lived in that home
within the “ward boundaries”. I remember
as a young child being in church specifically fast and testimony meetings when
others were sharing their testimony and a warm and comforting feeling would
come upon me during these times. These
“warm and comforting” feelings have been present all through my life. I struggle to put the words together to
express my feelings. I wish others could
just see in my heart and understand the words I cannot find to express. I know my life has been greatly blessed and a
path divinely written just for me when I have been faithful and obedient to
God’s plan. I have tried my entire life to be a good person and stay close and
grounded to the church. I know my
Heavenly Father loves me and guides me here on this earth. I have seen his hand throughout my life and
the lives around me. I can testify of
times when the spirit has guided my direction in this life and prompted me or
others to act upon these heaven sent messages of love. I truly have been blessed in my life with
those who have been put there for when I have needed it the most. I know our Heavenly Father cares and loves
each one of us individually. He Knows
us……He knows our needs and desires……He knows our hearts and He knows each
challenge we face every day of our lives.
Our Father in Heaven loves us very much and desires for each of us to
succeed in having a happy life. We just
need to be doing the things in our lives that He desires of us every day and He
will be with us and carry us through our hardships and burdens. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and paid
the ultimate price for me and all the dumb things I mess up on. I am truly striving to be the person I know
He wants me to be. I am so thankful for
the loving guidance the Church has had throughout my life. I have truly been blessed in my life. I know this Church is sooo true! It is God’s
plan for each one of us and if we embrace it with all our heart, mind and soul
we will find the happiness we need in this life and the life to come! I am
truly blessed and loved!

I suppose I have always known the the gospel of Jesus Christ is true.
It has been familiar to me for as long as I can remember. Many of my
first childhood memories have much to do with either church or family.

My first memory is sitting in church and partaking of the sacrament. I sat with both my parents and Grandma.
Although I did not quite understand at the innocent age of 2 the
significance of the sacrament or comprehend the depth of the atonement I knew I felt happy, safe and loved.

Second,
I can recall sitting in a primary room with other children and looking
at a picture hanging on the wall of the savior surrounded by little
children. I knew that He knew me personally, that He loved and cared
about me.

Perhaps the most significant memory I have is when my
sister was born. I was 2 1/2 when Katie came to our family. I remember
holding my new baby sister in my arms and how very excited I was to see
her. I was going to have a best friend. God sent us to earth through
families. How wonderful it is to know we have family.

My
relationship with our Savior is so very personal. He does know me. He
understands me. He hears my prayers and really does answer them. He is
there during my brightest and most joyous days. And He will be there
during my darkest hours. I know that I am never alone. He delights in
my growth and progression. I will be forever grateful for his atonement
on my behalf and I will rejoice in his name forever. For me the gospel
of our Savior found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
has always felt familiar. I know that wherever I am in the world, of
all the places I’ve lived and visited It will always feel like coming
home.

It
has always been difficult for me to pinpoint exactly when I received a
testimony of the gospel…it just always seemed to be there. I loved my parents…I wanted to be like
them…they believed…so I believed…pretty simple.
It wasn’t until I was older that I realized the blessing of this
gift…the gift of “knowing.”

For all have not every gift given unto
them; for there are many gifts, and to very man is given a gift by the Spirit
of God.

To some is given one, and to some is given
another, that all may be profited thereby.

To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to
know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the
sins of the world. (Doctrine & Covenants 46:11-13)

Where’s My Gun?

My
earliest memory confirming my faith in God and Jesus Christ takes me back to
when I was a young boy. I probably was
not more than 4 or 5 years old and had lost a toy gun that I was desperately
looking for. My friends were waiting to
play outside, and I couldn’t find my toy gun.
After searching all over the house, I was completely at a loss. I found myself in my parents’ bedroom. I knelt down at their bedside and said I’m
sure as simple of a prayer that one at that age could muster. I opened my eyes, looked over at my parents
dresser, and there just underneath the dresser was the toy gun. It was clearly out of sight from anyone
walking by. But when kneeling down, was
clear as day. From that day forward, I
realized that many answers to life’s problems would be answered from my knees.

I Don’t Fear
Thunderstorms

As
a pre-teen and teenager, life wasn’t too complicated. I went to school, studied and played. My testimony never seemed tested. Sure, I had challenges. But they were pretty simple challenges, and
never regarding things that were spiritual.
I never questioned going to church, attending seminary, or accepting
different priesthood responsibilities.
It probably wasn’t until I approached my mission that the weight of
things spiritual began to set on my mind. It wasn’t so much my questioning the church or
questioning anything of a spiritual nature, it was questioning how prepared was
I to share those things with others.

After
graduating from high school, I began to realize how real a mission was. I was 18 years old and knew that within 12
months I would be leaving home for 2 years.
I decided that time away from home would be helpful in that
preparation. I didn’t have the opportunity
to leave home for school, so I found a summer job a couple of hours away from
home just outside of Prescott, Arizona.
This was a summer camp for children, many of whom were troubled
kids. The summer camp was actually a
school, run as a private school during the school year, but during the summer
it brought children in from all over the world.
Along with more seasoned camp counselors, junior counselors were brought
in to help. That was me…a junior
counselor. It paid room and board…no
money. This worked fine for me. It helped me prepare myself to be away from
home, but also provided me a place where I could train for my upcoming freshman
year at Glendale Community College before I left on my mission.

It
was my goal to finish the Book of Mormon that summer while away at the summer
camp. I had a number of different
responsibilities as a junior camp counselor.
I coached the swim team, taught archery, and accompanied various
counselors on regular horseback rides.
While meeting my different responsibilities as a counselor, I also
worked diligently to keep up on my Book of Mormon reading. On one particular evening, I was assigned to
stand watch over the boy’s cabin area while the boys and girls were at a dance. It was late in the evening, and I was alone
in the camp sitting outside on one of the porches with my scriptures out. It was a warm summer evening. The darkness was almost overwhelming. I was reading in 3 Nephi Chapter 8 by
flashlight. My surroundings fit
perfectly with the events unfolding in the scriptures. I read Nephi’s words:

3“And the people
began to look with great earnestness for the sign which had been given by the
prophet Samuel, the Lamanite, yea, for the time that there should be darkness
for the space of three days over the face of the land.”

5“And it came to
pass in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of
the month, there arose a great storm, such as one as never had been known in
all the land.”

As
I looked up from my reading, the darkness was broken with periodic flashes from
a storm off to the east. It was a quiet
thunderstorm…an incredible lightning show off in the distance. I wondered if that night for Nephi began
something like what I was seeing. As I
watched the storm in the distance, I continued to read the rest of 3 Nephi
Chapters 8 and 9. After an incredible
storm and tempest, Nephi relates in Chapter 9 Verse 14 that “…if ye will come
unto me ye shall have eternal life.” It
was then and there, through the power of the Holy Ghost, that I was reminded
that Jesus Christ was the Savior of the world, but more importantly, my
Savior. At that moment, I understood the
message that I would take on my mission, to invite others to come unto
Christ. From that day on, I haven’t
feared thunderstorms as they are a reminder to me of the comforting love of a
Savior.

It’s The Little
Things

I
haven’t seen a vision or heard the Saviors voice. I suppose that the Lord knows that I don’t
need that to know Him. I may not have
been blessed with many spiritual gifts, but I have been blessed with at least one,
“…to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.” That gift is given by the power of the Holy
Ghost, and one I cannot deny.
Maintaining that gift comes from the little things that I’ve seen,
experienced, and felt. The examples of
parents that have lived the gospel and who have endured to the end have
strengthened my testimony. Having a
family at my side, a wife and children to encourage me to choose those things which
are good have strengthened my testimony. Having grandchildren that love me have
strengthened my testimony. And finally,
through opportunities of service, and having felt the Holy Ghost testify to me
that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that through him we can return to live with
our Heavenly Father have strengthened my testimony. Of all the gifts, the gift of “knowing” is
the gift I cherish the most.

I don't know if I have a specific moment that sparked my testimony of the gospel, I have just always known in my heart the truthfulness that it holds. So I will just share my testimony with you. I know this church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet called of God, He did see and talk with God and Jesus Christ, He did translate the scriptures and brought about the restoration of the true knowledge of the Gospel. I know we have inspired prophets today that are here to guide us on our way back to live with our Father. The world is a rough place, with a lot of bad in it, but there is still good in it, the Gospel is the light of the world and it is our calling to spread that joy to all that will listen. Don't give up in times of darkness, read scriptures and say prayers daily and with the help of Jesus Christ as our guide, we can come out of them stronger than we were before. Let your light shine so that all the world can see it and know that we are different and want to know why. Be happy and share his Gospel.Love Alyssa

I am so thankful for the blessings the Lord has given to our family. I am grateful for being raised by parents that were committed to the Lord and consecrated their lives to serving others. My testimony is built on the truths of the Gospel, but is supported by the actions taken by my parents (Emmett and Jackie Smith) when I was growing up. Since Mom and Dad were converts to the Church, they knew what it was like to NOT have the Gospel. Because of this, they were committed to follow the living Prophets and ensure all of their children enjoyed all of the blessings available to us. I remember feeling the spirit testify of truth - even at a young age. While I had many faults growing up, I always knew and felt the truth of the Church and the Gospel.

I was grateful to receive a call to serve in the Canada Toronto Mission and while there the roots of my testimony grew deeper and deeper. I had the opportunity to walk the streets that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young walked during their ministry. My testimony grew dramatically while there. On one occasion I was teaching the discussion on the Atonement to an investigator. In the course of the discussion I felt an overwhelming feeling that the Atonement was meant for me as well and felt for the very first time an understanding of that doctrine. I will always remember that day.

A few weeks after returning home from my mission I was asked to participate on the leadership council at the Glendale Community College Institute of Religion. As a part of that assignment I attended a leadership summit in Prescott Arizona with the other colleges and university leadership councils in Arizona. While there I met Gayla. She and I started dating and were married in May of 1980. Being married in the Temple and the life we have lived since then has been the capstone of my testimony. The full circle of my parents conversion and another tender mercy of the Lord was to marry the daughter of my fathers best friend (Claire Gardner), the man who introduced him to the Gospel, and performed his baptism. I am eternally grateful for that legacy in our family.

My testimony of the Gospel is intertwined with Gayla, our children, their spouses and our grandchildren. With each of them there is a story of the Lord bringing them to our family and how they have added to the testimonies of Gayla and I. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to serve in the Church and help others in some small way with their own testimonies. I know that God lives and Jesus is the Christ. I am grateful for the Prophet Joseph and his ministry. Through him the Church was restored and the Book of Mormon translated for our day. I have studied it's pages and found through it the joy that comes through the scriptures.

I, like many, can't pinpoint my testimony to a single experience or event. Looking back on my life I can think of many small experiences that have influenced my testimony. I was raised by two parents who were and still are, dedicated to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have many memories of my parents taking us to church, serving in the church and helping others when a need arose. I grew up on a farm in a rural community outside of Phoenix, Arizona. In my childhood and teenage years I spent a lot of time working on the farm with my dad and siblings. On several occasions I can remember talking about gospel topics and asking my dad questions as we walked down the cotton rows chopping weeds.

One experience on the farm forever strengthened my testimony. I was a sophomore in high school and had received a ride home from school one afternoon. I can't remember why but no one else was home. As I walked up to our house I noticed across our property that over by the corrals, one of our horses had gotten out and was just standing nearby the corral. This was not a very tame horse and we really didn't ride him. I knew immediately that I needed to get him back in so he wouldn't run away. So, by myself I started slowly over to the horse and tried not to startle him. Of course, as soon as I got close, he ran away. I started running after him and after several attempts of trying to get around him and having him just keep running farther away from home, I became very frustrated and concerned. I felt all alone and felt like I was never going to get this horse back in the corral and didn't know what to do. In tears, I knelt down on my knees in the middle of an empty field on the farm and said a brief but fervent prayer, "Heavenly Father, help me get this horse back home!" I got up and tried again to get around the horse to drive him home. As soon as I started toward him, he ran around me and headed straight toward the house and the corral. I was so excited that I ran after him yelling, "go horse, go!" He didn't stop running until he got back home. After catching up to him I was able to approach him and get him safely in the corral.

As I reflect on this experience, I realize it was not a big problem, but at that moment it was a huge problem to me. My Father in Heaven knew me and how I felt and He was there for me. I still to this day look back on this experience and know that he answered my prayer in my time of need. This experience and many others have caused me to realize and know that I am not alone. I know God is my Heavenly Father. His Son is Jesus Christ and He is my Savior and Redeemer. I know His church is led by a living prophet and I will forever be his disciple.

I remember as a little kid wondering if all religions' gods could be true and that if each followed their respective god, they would be rewarded in that respect. Yes I was a weird little kid, but in my little science-fiction-based mind it all made sense. It was a fleeting thought. Later, I remember watching General Conference, and one of the speakers talked about one true God. Well, that talk and what I had been taught by my parents conflicted with my fleeting thought, so I knew I must pray about it to know the truth. First, I'm grateful that I was taught and knew to pray for knowledge, though I had never done it before. So, right after that talk, while everyone else was still watching Conference, I went to my bedroom and got down on my knees to ask a simple question - are you, my Heavenly Father, the one true God? I knew I would get an an answer and it came very simply - I felt peace and an understanding that there could only be one true God and that it was my Heavenly Father. That was more than two decades ago and was my first experience that I can remember with the Holy Ghost; and the experience still brings tears to my eyes. It was simple and the beginning of my testimony.

Several years later, in my junior year of high school, during early morning seminary - with a very dedicated teacher that worked tirelessly to not only bring the spirit but to help each of us have our own personal experiences with Him - I had a much more powerful testimony building experience. After studying the last week of the Savior's life and His great sacrifice, we were each asked to write down our feelings of Christ and share with the class. Very unexpectedly, as I was reading what I wrote, I felt the spirit very strongly, testifying to me what I had written was true - that Christ is my Savior, that I can become clean through Him, that only through Him can I be with my Heavenly Father again. I had always believed that, but it was that experience that helped me to know and not only feel my Heavenly Father's love, but the love of Christ. It strengthened my desire to fulfill my part to return to Heavenly Father.

These experiences buoyed me up during my mission and helped me make the right decisions throughout life and continue to do so. I am grateful for the church and its organizations - namely General Conference and seminary - that specifically helped me gain my testimony and knowledge of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I love my Heavenly Father and His Son. I know that Christ paid for my sins and that He lives.

As a young child I noticed the
service of my parents and grandparents in the church. I heard their testimonies of Christ and His
Church. I saw their faith through their
diligence in their callings. I was proud
to be their daughter, and I knew that they knew The Church of Latter Day Saints
was the only true church on Earth. I
suppose I leaned on their faith when I was young, but I don’t remember a time
when I didn’t believe what I was being taught.
It always felt right and made sense.
As I grew up I continued to follow that good feeling and I learned to
identify it as the Holy Spirit.

In my teenage years there were a few times I
was blessed with the gift of perspective.
When I was tempted to do something that wasn’t right, I knew
immediately how that choice would affect my future and my faith. I just couldn’t justify making a wrong choice
for my immediate satisfaction when I knew, with a little patience, great
blessings would come for my faithfulness.
And they did come! At 18 years
old I married a wonderful man who I only knew for a short time. I prayed to know if the promptings I felt to
marry him were right. I never received
an obvious answer, but felt comfort and peace with my decision to marry him.

As I have gotten to know my husband
over the past 11 years, I have continually been amazed at how right that
decision to marry Tyler was. I know that
inspired decision couldn’t have been made solely by 18 year old me. It was inspiration from my Heavenly
Father. What a testimony builder that
has been! There have been other
decisions that Tyler and I have made where I have seen the hand of the
Lord. I have learned to trust in His
timing and understand that I don’t have the perspective that my Heavenly Father
has. I know that I have Heavenly Parents
who love my family and me. I know Christ
is my Savior. I believe with a little
faith, we all can receive our own revelation from the Holy Ghost. I know, when we follow the teachings of
Christ, we are blessed abundantly. I
will always be thankful for my family for teaching me these things and setting
such great examples through the way they lived their own lives. I am grateful we will be a family forever!

Monday, November 30, 2015

My story isn’t one of visions or of
great miracles. My story is simple and my testimony is simple. If there is one
thing that I have learned from the gospel it is that the gospel of Jesus Christ
is simple. Well… our part is simple. I have been truly blessed being raised in
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Something that can easily be
taken for granted. I feel like I could easily recognize the spirit at a fairly
young age. I can clearly remember when my cousins and I sang at Grandma and
Grandpa Smith Mission farewell to New York. We sang “Families Can Be Together Forever”.
I knew then and still know now that the feelings I felt of happiness, warmth,
and understanding was the spirit testifying of the truthfulness of that song
and of what my grandparents were about to do. I knew that the tears I shed were
not just that of sadness of missing my grandparents but of joy knowing that the
Savior had work for them to do. I knew that day I was going to serve a mission.
As I got older and watched both sets of Grandparents serve multiple missions
and cousins being called to serve, I knew I would someday. I never viewed a
mission as something expected of me but rather something I wanted to do and
knew the Lord wanted me to. Growing up in Phoenix I was surrounded by good
friends, teachers, leaders and parents who supported me in all that I did. I
remember the missionaries being in our home often and I looked up to them. When
it came closer to me being able to serve I began to prepare myself by teaching
with the missionaries, getting up early with the Stake President and studying the
scriptures, and preparing my mission paperwork. I’m not saying that I was never
nervous about going on a mission. But my nervousness was never that of not
knowing how to be a missionary. I was nervous about where I would be called and
what weird food I would be forced to eat. I remember being nervous when filling
out my mission paperwork and when it asked how willing I was to learn a foreign
language. I had taken 4 years of French in High School but wasn’t good at
speaking it. When my mission call finally came in the summer of 2003 I was
excited. Even more so anxious because it got lost in the mail and they had to
resend it to me. I had received papers from the Church office giving me
instructions on how to obtain a visa for Canada before receiving my call.
Reading my mission call to serve in the Canada Montreal Mission French speaking
was sigh of relief. I took French in High school, my Wilson grandparents served
in the same mission a few years earlier, and it’s not that far away, how hard
could it really be. The MTC proved to be challenge to me, as I wasn’t learning
the language as quickly as those around me. I had a companion who was learning
a third language and was accusing me of not having enough faith and called me
unto repentance. Another Elder in my district helped me to keep sane and I
prayed that the language would come to me. When I got to the mission field the
language continued to be a struggle for as I bounced back and forth from
English speaking areas to French speaking areas. I didn’t let these
difficulties hinder me from the work or shake my testimony. I recognized the
Lords hand in many discussions I had with investigators. There were many
instances where I was scared going into a discussion not knowing what to say
and the Spirit would guide me. Many times I wouldn’t even know what I had just
said but would notice tears rolling down the cheeks of those I taught. I
wouldn’t say that I found my testimony on my mission but my mission did
strengthen my testimony for the world I was about to return home to. I moved to
Utah shortly after returning home and attended Weber State. Moving to Utah
allowed for me to be around friends from my mission and to meet my wife. Those
two things have been a great strength for me through out the years. Marrying a woman
who has also served a mission has been a great blessing to my three children
and me. I am surrounded by great examples of faith and endurance. I hope to
endure to the end with steadfastness in Christ my savior. This is my testimony
plain and simple. Christ is our savior and he lives. I know we have prophets
and apostles that guide his church today. I know we have a loving Father in
Heaven. Amen.